JP7014214B2 - Driving support device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving support device that assists the driver in driving.

Conventionally, a technique for assisting a driver's driving is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for automatically changing a vehicle to an adjacent lane by operating a winker lever of a driver.

Japanese Patent No. 4181049

However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the vehicle is automatically changed to the adjacent lane with the operation of the winker lever of the driver as a start condition, so that the driver can change the lane without confirming the safety.

When the vehicle is automatically changed to the adjacent lane, the rear side vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is monitored by the autonomous sensor of the own vehicle to ensure the safety of the rear side on the vehicle system side and automatically. It is also possible to change lanes. However, at present, it is not preferable to overconfide the vehicle system due to the limit of the detection range of the autonomous sensor, and it is preferable that the driver confirms the safety.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is driving support capable of encouraging a driver to carry out safety confirmation even when automatically changing lanes of a vehicle. To provide the equipment.

The above object is achieved by a combination of the features described in the independent claims, and the subclaims provide for further advantageous embodiments of the invention. The reference numerals in parentheses described in the claims indicate, as one embodiment, the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. ..

In order to achieve the above object, the driving support device of the present invention is a driving support device used in a vehicle and provided with a lane change unit (108) for automatically changing the lane of the vehicle, and is a state of the driver of the vehicle. Based on the information of the sensor used to detect The vehicle is based on the permission unit (106), the promotion processing unit (107) that prompts the driver to perform a safety confirmation operation, and the operation input by the driver to a predetermined operation member (7, 58) of the vehicle. It is equipped with an intention detection unit (102) that detects that the driver has permitted the change of lane, and the promotion processing unit performs a safety confirmation operation before determining whether or not the operation determination unit has performed the safety confirmation operation. When the operation judgment unit determines that the driver has not performed the safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, and the intention detection unit determines that the driver has changed the lane of the vehicle. If it does not detect that it is permitted, the lane change section does not allow the automatic lane change, and the promotion processing section does not allow the lane change section to automatically change lanes. Moreover, when the judgment result in the operation judgment unit or the detection result in the intention detection unit is determined to be a timeout , the operation input is automatically turned off, and the safety confirmation operation is required again. The notification indicating that the safety confirmation operation is required is automatically performed when the operation input is turned off .

According to this, when the operation determination unit determines that the driver has not performed the safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, the permission unit does not allow the lane change unit to automatically change lanes. Therefore, when the lane change of the vehicle is automatically performed, the lane change cannot be performed unless the driver performs the safety confirmation operation at the time of lane change. Therefore, even when the lane of the vehicle is automatically changed, the driver will perform the safety confirmation operation when the lane is changed.

It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the driving support system 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the driving support ECU 9. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of LCA-related processing in a driving support ECU 9. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating an example of the state transition of the LCA function part 90. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect by the structure of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the driving support ECU 9a.

A plurality of embodiments and modifications for disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the parts having the same functions as the parts shown in the figures used in the explanations so far are designated by the same reference numerals among the plurality of embodiments and modifications, and the description thereof will be omitted. May be done. For the parts with the same reference numerals, the description in other embodiments and / or modifications can be referred to.

(Embodiment 1)
<Outline configuration of driving support system 1>
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The driver assistance system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle, and includes an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) locator 2, an ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) communication device 3, a peripheral monitoring system 4, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface). It includes a system 5, a vehicle control system 6, a winker lever 7, a winker switch 8, and a driving support ECU 9. The ADAS locator 2, the ITS communication device 3, the peripheral monitoring system 4, the HMI system 5, the vehicle control system 6, the winker switch 8, and the driving support ECU 9 are connected to, for example, the in-vehicle LAN 10, and exchange information with each other by communication. Can be done. A vehicle equipped with the driving support system 1 is hereinafter referred to as a own vehicle.

The ADAS locator 2 includes an inertial sensor such as a GNSS receiver and a 3D gyro sensor, and a memory for storing map data. The GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver receives positioning signals from a plurality of artificial satellites. The 3D gyro sensor includes, for example, a 3-axis gyro sensor and a 3-axis acceleration sensor.

The ADAS locator 2 positions the position of its own vehicle by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver and the measurement result of the inertial sensor. The ADAS locator 2 reads map data in front of the course of the own vehicle from the memory, and extracts road information such as road shape, number of lanes, lane width, lane regulation information, speed regulation value, and intersection position. The ADAS locator 2 outputs the position information of the own vehicle and the road information in front of the course to the in-vehicle LAN 10.

The road information may be acquired by using an in-vehicle communication module used for telematics communication such as a DCM (Data Communication Module) mounted on the own vehicle.

The ITS communication device 3 performs wireless communication with an in-vehicle communication device mounted on a vehicle around the own vehicle and / or a roadside device installed on the roadside. For example, the ITS communication device 3 acquires position information, traveling speed information, and the like of vehicles around the own vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication with an in-vehicle communication device and road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside unit. The ITS communication device 3 outputs the acquired information to the in-vehicle LAN 10.

The peripheral monitoring system 4 includes peripheral monitoring sensors such as a peripheral monitoring camera 41 and a millimeter wave radar 42, and a peripheral monitoring ECU 40. The peripheral monitoring system 4 may be configured to use peripheral monitoring sensors such as sonar and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The peripheral monitoring system 4 detects obstacles such as pedestrians, non-human animals, bicycles, motorcycles, moving objects such as other vehicles, and stationary objects such as falling objects on the road, guardrails, curbs, and trees. In addition, it detects driving lane markings, traffic signal lights, road markings, and road sign displays.

The HMI system 5 includes a plurality of display devices such as a combination meter 53, a CID (Center Information Display) 54, a HUD (Head-Up Display) device 55, and an electronic mirror 56. Further, the HMI system 5 includes a DSM (Driver Status Monitor) 51, a rear side camera 52, an audio speaker 57, and an operation device 58. The HMI system 5 accepts an input operation from the driver of the own vehicle, presents information to the driver of the own vehicle, and monitors the state of the driver of the own vehicle.

The vehicle control system 6 includes a detection sensor that detects driving operations such as an accelerator position sensor 61, a brake pedal force sensor 62, a steering angle sensor 63, and a steering torque sensor 64, and a vehicle speed sensor 65 that detects the running state of the own vehicle. It is equipped with. In addition, the vehicle control system 6 includes a traveling control device such as an electronically controlled throttle 66, a brake actuator 67, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor 68, and a vehicle control ECU 60. The vehicle control system 6 controls the running of the own vehicle based on a driving operation by the driver, an instruction from the driving support ECU 9, and the like.

The winker lever 7 is an operating member for operating the lamp of the direction indicator of the own vehicle. In the first embodiment, the winker lever 7 corresponds to the predetermined operating member according to the claim. The winker switch 8 is a switch for detecting the left and right lamp lighting operations with respect to the winker lever 7. The winker switch 8 outputs a winker signal when turning left or right according to the operation of the winker lever 7 to the in-vehicle LAN 10.

The operation support ECU 9 includes a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these, and executes various processes by executing a control program stored in the non-volatile memory. The driving support ECU 9 corresponds to the driving support device according to the claim. In addition, a part or all of the functions executed by the driving support ECU 9 may be configured in terms of hardware by one or a plurality of ICs or the like.

By controlling the vehicle control ECU 60, the driving support ECU 9 executes a plurality of driving support applications (hereinafter referred to as driving support applications) that support or substitute for driving operations by the driver. The driving support ECU 9 will be described in detail later.

<Outline configuration of peripheral monitoring system 4>
Here, the schematic configuration of the peripheral monitoring system 4 will be described. The peripheral monitoring system 4 includes a peripheral monitoring ECU 40, a peripheral monitoring camera 41, and a millimeter-wave radar 42.

The peripheral surveillance camera 41 is a monocular or compound eye type camera, and sequentially images the periphery of the own vehicle. Hereinafter, a case where a front camera is provided as the peripheral surveillance camera 41 will be described as an example. As the peripheral monitoring camera 41, a camera that captures images in another direction, such as a rear camera whose imaging range is a predetermined range behind the own vehicle, may be used.

The peripheral surveillance camera 41 is installed, for example, in the rear-view mirror of the own vehicle with the optical axis directed toward the road surface in front of the own vehicle. The peripheral surveillance camera 41 captures a range of about 80 meters from the own vehicle at a horizontal viewing angle of, for example, about 45 degrees. Then, the peripheral monitoring camera 41 sequentially outputs the data of the captured images to be sequentially captured to the peripheral monitoring ECU 40.

The millimeter wave radar 42 sequentially transmits millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves around the own vehicle, and sequentially receives the reflected waves reflected by obstacles. In the following, as the millimeter wave radar 42, the right rear side millimeter wave radar whose sensing range is the right rear side from the right side to the rear of the vehicle and the left rear side which is the sensing range from the left side to the rear of the vehicle. The case where the left rear side millimeter wave radar is provided as an example will be described. It should be noted that the millimeter wave radar 42 having another sensing range such as the millimeter wave radar 42 having the sensing range in front of the own vehicle may be used.

For example, the right rear side millimeter wave radar is installed to the right of the rear part of the own vehicle. Then, a quasi-millimeter wave in the 24 GHz band is emitted in a range of a horizontal scanning angle of about 120 degrees from the rear of the own vehicle to the right rear side, and the reflected wave is received. The left rear side millimeter wave radar is the same as the right rear side millimeter wave radar except that the left and right sides are reversed. The maximum detection distance of the millimeter wave radar 42 is about 70 to 150 m. Then, the millimeter wave radar 42 sequentially outputs the scanning result based on the received signal to the peripheral monitoring ECU 40.

The peripheral monitoring ECU 40 includes a CPU, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these, and executes various processes by executing a control program stored in the non-volatile memory. In addition, a part or all of the functions executed by the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 may be configured in terms of hardware by one or a plurality of ICs or the like.

The peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the distance from the own vehicle, the relative position with respect to the own vehicle, the relative speed with respect to the own vehicle, and the like for the object existing in front of the own vehicle from the data of the captured image acquired from the peripheral monitoring camera 41. As an example, a vehicle such as an automobile, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a pedestrian, or the like may be detected by a well-known image recognition process such as template matching.

When using a monocular camera, the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle and the position of the object with respect to the vehicle are determined from the installation position of the peripheral monitoring camera 41 with respect to the vehicle, the direction of the optical axis, and the position of the object in the captured image. You just have to determine the distance. When a compound eye camera is used, the distance between the vehicle and the object may be determined based on the parallax amount of the pair of cameras. Further, the relative speed of the object with respect to the own vehicle may be determined from the rate of change in the distance between the own vehicle and the object. For example, if the detected object is a vehicle and the relative position to the own vehicle is in front of the own vehicle, this object may be treated as a preceding vehicle.

The peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the traveling lane marking line in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, the position of the traveling lane marking with respect to the own vehicle, and the like from the data of the captured image acquired from the peripheral monitoring camera 41. The traveling lane marking line may be detected by a well-known image recognition process such as edge detection. The position of the traveling lane marking with respect to the own vehicle may be detected from the installation position of the peripheral monitoring camera 41 with respect to the own vehicle, the direction of the optical axis, and the position of the object in the captured image. In addition, the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 may be configured to detect a signboard indicating lane regulation, a road installation object indicating lane regulation, or the like by image recognition processing.

Further, the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the distance from the own vehicle, the relative position with respect to the own vehicle, the relative speed with respect to the own vehicle, and the like for the object existing on the rear side of the own vehicle from the information acquired from the millimeter wave radar 42. ..

The peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects an object based on the reception intensity of the reflected wave generated by the quasi-millimeter wave transmitted by the millimeter wave radar 42 reflected on the object. Further, the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the distance between the own vehicle and the object from the time from the transmission of the quasi-millimeter wave to the reception of the reflected wave. Further, the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the direction of the object with respect to the own vehicle from the direction in which the quasi-millimeter wave obtained by the reflected wave is transmitted. Then, the relative position of the object with respect to the own vehicle is detected from the distance between the own vehicle and the object and the direction of the object with respect to the own vehicle.

Further, the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the relative velocity of the object with respect to the own vehicle by a known method based on the Doppler shift between the transmitted quasi-millimeter wave and the reflected wave. The relative speed of the object with respect to the own vehicle may be detected from the time change rate of the distance between the own vehicle and the object. The peripheral monitoring ECU 40 outputs various detected information to the in-vehicle LAN 10 as monitoring information.

Even if the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 detects the existence of the peripheral vehicle, the distance to the own vehicle, the position with respect to the own vehicle, and the speed by using the position information and the traveling speed information of the peripheral vehicle acquired from the ITS communication device 3. good.

Further, the number, types, and combinations of types of peripheral monitoring sensors included in the peripheral monitoring system 4 are not limited to the examples shown in the first embodiment. For example, a configuration in which a plurality of types of peripheral monitoring sensors have overlapping sensing ranges may be used, for example, sensing in front of the own vehicle may be performed by using a camera and a millimeter wave radar in combination. In addition, as peripheral monitoring sensors, it is equipped with millimeter-wave radar that has a sensing range diagonally to the left and right of the vehicle, and sonar that has a sensing range near the left and right front corners and the left and right rear corners of the vehicle. It may be configured to be used.

<Outline configuration of HMI system 5>
Subsequently, the schematic configuration of the HMI system 5 will be described. The HMI system 5 includes an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 50, a DSM 51, a rear side camera 52, a combination meter 53, a CID 54, a HUD device 55, an electronic mirror 56, an audio speaker 57, and an operation device 58.

The DSM 51 is composed of a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, a control unit for controlling them, and the like. The DSM 51 is arranged, for example, on the upper surface of the instrument panel in a posture in which the near-infrared camera is directed toward the driver's seat side of the own vehicle. The DSM 51 photographs the head of the driver irradiated with near-infrared light by a near-infrared light source with a near-infrared camera. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is image-analyzed by the control unit. The control unit detects, for example, the driver's face direction and / or line-of-sight direction from the captured image. This DSM 51 corresponds to the sensor of the claim.

As an example, the DSM 51 detects parts such as the contour of the face, eyes, nose, and mouth by image recognition processing from the captured image obtained by capturing the driver's face with a near-infrared camera. Then, the face orientation of the driver is detected from the relative positional relationship of each part. Further, as an example, the DSM 51 detects the driver's pupil and corneal reflex from the captured image obtained by capturing the driver's face with a near-infrared camera by image recognition processing, and looks at the detected pupil and the corneal reflex from the positional relationship. Detects the direction of. The DSM 51 outputs the detected driver's face direction and line-of-sight direction information to the in-vehicle LAN 10.

The DSM 51 may be configured to detect the face orientation by utilizing the fact that the distance between the driver's head or shoulder and the driver's seat or headrest changes depending on the driver's face orientation. As an example, the DSM 51 may be configured to detect the face orientation from the change in the distance to the driver's head or shoulder, which is detected by a plurality of distance measuring sensors installed on the driver's seat or the headrest, respectively.

The posterior camera 52 is, for example, a monocular camera, and sequentially images the posterior side of the own vehicle. The rear side camera 52 is installed on each of the left and right door mirrors of the own vehicle, and images a predetermined range on the left and right rear sides of the own vehicle, respectively. The rear side camera 52 sequentially outputs the data of the captured images to be sequentially captured to the HCU 50.

The combination meter 53 is arranged in front of the driver's seat in the passenger compartment of the own vehicle. The CID 54 is arranged above the center cluster in the passenger compartment of the own vehicle. The combination meter 53 and the CID 54 display various images for information notification on the display screen of the display based on the image data acquired from the HCU 50.

The HUD device 55 projects a display image formed on the display element based on the image data acquired from the HCU 50 onto the windshield of the own vehicle, thereby displaying a virtual image of the displayed image from the interior of the own vehicle to the outside world scenery in front of the vehicle. Display them in a visible manner. The HUD device 55 presents information to the driver by means of a virtual image-displayed display object.

The electronic mirror 56 is a display device that sequentially displays the captured images of the rear side of the own vehicle sequentially captured by the rear side camera 52, and is a display device that displays the captured images of the right rear side of the own vehicle. There is a display device that displays the captured image on the left rear side of the vehicle. As an example, the electronic mirror 56 is installed at the base of each pillar located on the left and right sides of the windshield in the vehicle interior of the own vehicle. The electronic mirror 56 sequentially acquires and displays the captured images sequentially captured by the rear side camera 52 via the HCU 50.

The electronic mirror 56 may superimpose and display a display object generated by the HCU 50 in addition to the image captured on the rear side of the own vehicle captured by the rear side camera 52. Further, the display area of the display object generated by the HCU 50 and the image captured on the rear side of the own vehicle captured by the rear side camera 52 may be displayed separately. The electronic mirror 56 presents information to the driver by a display object displayed in addition to the captured image on the rear side of the own vehicle.

The audio speaker 57 is installed, for example, in the lining of the door of the own vehicle, and reproduces a sound or voice audible by the driver of the own vehicle. Specifically, a mechanical beep sound, a synthetic voice such as a message, and the like are output from the audio speaker 57. The audio speaker 57 presents information to the driver by the sound to be reproduced and the voice.

The operation device 58 is a group of switches operated by the driver of the own vehicle. For example, as the operation device 58, there is a steering switch provided on the spoke portion of the steering of the own vehicle. The steering switch is used by the driver to make various settings including the necessity of starting the driving support application, and is used by the driver to allow the driver to change lanes automatically.

The HCU 50 includes a CPU, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these, and executes various processes by executing a control program stored in the non-volatile memory. In addition, a part or all of the functions executed by the HCU 50 may be configured in terms of hardware by one or a plurality of ICs or the like.

The HCU 50 controls the combination meter 53, the CID 54, the HUD device 55, the electronic mirror 56, and the audio speaker 57 to present information to notify the driver. Further, the HCU 30 sequentially outputs the image data of the rear side of the own vehicle, which is sequentially acquired from the rear side camera 52, to the electronic mirror 56. In addition, the HCU 50 outputs a signal corresponding to the detection result of the DSM 51 and the switch operation of the operation device 58 to the in-vehicle LAN 10.

<Outline configuration of vehicle control system 6>
Subsequently, a schematic configuration of the vehicle control system 6 will be described. The vehicle control system 6 includes a vehicle control ECU 60, an accelerator position sensor 61, a brake pedal force sensor 62, a steering angle sensor 63, a steering torque sensor 64, a vehicle speed sensor 65, an electronically controlled throttle 66, a brake actuator 67, and an EPS motor 68. There is.

The accelerator position sensor 61 detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver and outputs the amount to the vehicle control ECU 60. The brake pedal force sensor 62 detects the pedal effort of the brake pedal by the driver and outputs it to the vehicle control ECU 60. The steering angle sensor 63 detects the steering angle or the steering angle of the own vehicle as the steering angle. The steering torque sensor 64 detects the steering torque applied to the steering wheel by the driver and outputs it to the vehicle control ECU 60. The vehicle speed sensor 65 detects the current traveling speed of the own vehicle by measuring the output shaft of the transmission or the rotation speed of the axle, and outputs the current traveling speed to the vehicle control ECU 60.

The electronically controlled throttle 66 controls the opening degree of the throttle based on the control signal output from the vehicle control ECU 60. The brake actuator 67 controls the braking force generated on each wheel by generating the brake pressure based on the control signal output from the vehicle control ECU 60. The EPS motor 68 controls the steering force and the steering holding force applied to the steering mechanism based on the control signal output from the vehicle control ECU 60.

The vehicle control ECU 60 is an electronic control device that performs acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control of the own vehicle. The vehicle control ECU 60 includes a steering ECU that performs steering control, a power unit control ECU that performs acceleration / deceleration control, a brake ECU, and the like. The vehicle control ECU 60 has an electronically controlled throttle 66, a brake actuator 67, and an EPS motor based on detection signals output from sensors such as an accelerator position sensor 61, a brake pedal force sensor 62, a steering angle sensor 63, and a vehicle speed sensor 65. A control signal is output to each driving control device such as 68. When the driving support application is executed, the vehicle control ECU 60 performs acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control of the own vehicle according to an instruction from the driving support ECU 9. Further, the vehicle control ECU 60 also outputs the detection signals output from the above-mentioned sensors 61 to 65 to the in-vehicle LAN 10.

<Outline configuration of driving support ECU 9>
Subsequently, a schematic configuration of the driving support ECU 9 will be described with reference to FIG. By executing the control program stored in the non-volatile memory, the operation support ECU 9 has an LCA (Lane Change Assist) function unit 90, an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) function unit 91, and an LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) function unit 92. And the AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) functional unit 93 is constructed as a functional block. These functional blocks execute the above-mentioned driving support application.

The ACC function unit 91 realizes the ACC function of controlling the traveling speed of the own vehicle by causing the vehicle control ECU 60 to adjust the driving force and the braking force based on the monitoring information of the preceding vehicle acquired from the peripheral monitoring ECU 40. When the preceding vehicle is not detected, the ACC function unit 91 causes the own vehicle to travel at a constant speed at a target traveling speed set by the driver, for example, via the operation device 58. On the other hand, when the preceding vehicle is detected, the ACC function unit 91 sets the target vehicle-to-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle according to the target traveling speed, with the speed of the preceding vehicle as the target traveling speed. Then, while performing acceleration / deceleration control so as to reach this target inter-vehicle distance, the own vehicle is made to follow the preceding vehicle. The speed of the preceding vehicle may be obtained from the relative speed of the preceding vehicle with respect to the own vehicle detected by the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle indicated by the detection signal of the vehicle speed sensor 65 of the own vehicle.

The LKA function unit 92 realizes the LKA function of controlling the steering angle of the steering wheel of the own vehicle by causing the vehicle control ECU 60 to adjust the steering force. The LKA function unit 92 maintains the own vehicle in the own lane and runs the vehicle by generating a steering force in a direction that hinders the approach to the travel lane. Driving support that realizes automatic driving in the driving lane of the own vehicle by operating both the ACC function and the LKA function will be referred to as in-lane driving support hereafter.

The AEB function unit 93 causes the vehicle control ECU 60 to adjust the braking force based on the monitoring information in front of the vehicle acquired from the peripheral monitoring ECU 40, thereby forcibly and automatically decelerating the vehicle speed of the vehicle. That is, the function of AEB) is realized. As a specific example, when the TTC (time to collision) for an object in front of the vehicle falls below a set value such as 5 sec and an emergency control condition is satisfied, the vehicle speed of the vehicle is forcibly automatically decelerated.

The LCA function unit 90 realizes the function of LCA for moving the own vehicle from the currently traveling lane to the adjacent lane. Details of the LCA functional unit 90 will be described later.

The driving support ECU 9 notifies the driver of the existence of another vehicle in the left and right rear side regions of the own vehicle based on the monitoring information on the left and right rear sides of the own vehicle acquired from the peripheral monitoring ECU 40, and the BSM (Blind Spot Monitor). ) May be realized, and other functions related to driving support may be realized.

<Rough configuration of LCA function unit 90>
Subsequently, the schematic configuration of the LCA functional unit 90 will be described with reference to FIG. As a functional block, the LCA function unit 90 includes a state transition unit 100, an LC (Lane Change) intention determination unit 101, an intention detection unit 102, an operation determination unit 103, a time-out determination unit 104, a peripheral situation determination unit 105, and a permission unit 106. It includes an acceleration processing unit 107, a lane change unit 108, and a post-completion processing unit 109.

The state transition unit 100 transitions the state of the LCA function of the own vehicle. The state transition unit 100 is set to the LC_OFF state in which the LCA function cannot be executed, for example, when the traveling support in the lane is OFF (that is, both the ACC and LKA functions are not activated). In addition, when the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 cannot detect the adjacent lane of the own vehicle, LC_OFF is set. For example, the case where the adjacent lane of the own vehicle cannot be detected means the case where the driving lane between the own lane and the adjacent lane cannot be detected. On the other hand, the state transition unit 100 is LCA when the in-lane driving support is ON (that is, both the ACC and LKA functions are activated) and the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 can detect the adjacent lane of the own vehicle. Transition to the LC_READY state ready to perform the function.

Further, the state transition unit 100 shifts the LCA function unit 90 to the state of LC_ON for executing the LCA function when the LC decision unit 101, which will be described later, determines that the driver has an intention to change lanes. On the other hand, the state transition unit 100 transitions to the LC_READY state when the timeout determination unit 104, which will be described later, determines that the determination result of the LC intention determination unit 101 or the operation determination unit 103 is invalid. In addition, the state transition unit 100 transitions to the LC_READY state when the steering at the lane changing unit 108, which will be described later, is completed.

The LC decision-making unit 101 determines the driver's intention to change lanes when the LC-READY state is set. As an example, when a winker signal at the time of turning left or right is obtained from the winker switch 8, it may be determined that there is an intention to change lanes (hereinafter, there is an intention to LC). Further, when the winker signal at the time of a right turn is obtained, it may be determined that the right adjacent lane has an LC intention, and when the winker signal at the time of a left turn is obtained, it may be determined that the left adjacent lane has an LC intention. If the winker signal at the time of turning left or right is not obtained, it may be determined that there is no intention of LC. In the first embodiment, the winker lever 7 corresponds to the operating member according to the claim.

The intention detection unit 102 starts counting from the time when the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention. That is, the counting starting from the operation of the winker lever 7 is started. Then, it is detected that the count reaches the specified value as the driver permits the lane change (hereinafter, the steering start trigger is ON). The count may be a count of the elapsed time or a count of the mileage of the own vehicle, but the following will be described by taking the case of counting the elapsed time as an example. The elapsed time may be counted by, for example, a timer circuit or the like. This count corresponds to the measured value of the claim.

The operation determination unit 103 determines whether or not the driver has performed a safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, based on the detection results of the DSM 51 sequentially output from the HCU 50. It is preferable that the determination by the operation determination unit 103 is started after the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention. This is because the processing load of the operation support ECU 9 can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which the operation determination unit 103 constantly performs the determination.

Here, an example of determination by the operation determination unit 103 when the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention in the right adjacent lane will be described. The operation determination unit 103 moves the driver's face direction and / or line-of-sight direction detected by the DSM 51 from the front of the vehicle to the right rear side, and stays in a state of facing the right rear side for a certain period of time or more. When the vehicle shows a movement to return to the front of the own vehicle, it may be determined that the safety confirmation operation has been performed. The fixed time here is a residence time that is normally considered to be required for safety confirmation, and can be arbitrarily set.

When the DSM51 detects the driver's line-of-sight direction, for example, when the line-of-sight direction moves in the order of the front of the vehicle, the right door mirror, the right rear side, and the front, it is determined that the safety confirmation operation has been performed. You may. For the right door mirror and the right rear side, it may be a condition that the line-of-sight direction stays for a certain period of time or more.

Regarding the determination by the operation determination unit 103 when the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that the left adjacent lane has the intention to change lanes, the intention to change the lane to the right adjacent lane except that the left and right sides are reversed. It is the same as the case where it is determined to be present.

The time-out determination unit 104 determines whether or not the detection result of the intention detection unit 102 and the determination result of the operation determination unit 103 have expired (that is, time-out). Regarding the detection result of the intention detection unit 102, it is determined as a timeout when the elapsed time from the detection of the steering start trigger ON by the intention detection unit 102 is equal to or longer than the first effective time, and it is valid when the time is less than the first effective time. Is determined. The first effective time referred to here can be arbitrarily set and may be set to about several seconds.

Regarding the judgment result by the operation judgment unit 103, if the elapsed time from the judgment that the safety confirmation operation is performed by the operation judgment unit 103 is equal to or longer than the second effective time, it is determined as a timeout and less than the second effective time. Judged to be valid in some cases. The second effective time referred to here is a time to which it is considered that the situation on the rear side of the adjacent lane is likely to change, and can be arbitrarily set. For example, the second effective time may be about several seconds.

The peripheral condition determination unit 105 determines whether or not the peripheral condition of the own vehicle can change lanes to the adjacent lane based on the monitoring information sequentially output from the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 when the LC_ON state is set. Judgment sequentially. As an example, from the monitoring information on the rear side of the own vehicle detected by the millimeter wave radar 42, the surrounding situation where the lane can be changed when there is no object approaching the own vehicle on the rear side of the lane to which the lane is changed. Is determined. On the other hand, if there is an object approaching the own vehicle behind the lane to which the lane is changed, it is determined that the surrounding situation cannot change the lane.

From the position information and traveling speed information of the surrounding vehicles acquired by the ITS communication device 3, the peripheral situation determination unit 105 determines whether there is another vehicle approaching the own vehicle behind the lane to which the lane is changed. By determining whether or not, it may be determined whether or not the surrounding condition of the own vehicle is the peripheral condition where the lane can be changed to the adjacent lane.

When the LC_ON state is set, the permission unit 106 permits or disallows the lane change of the own vehicle depending on whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined conditions are that the intention detection unit 102 has detected the steering start trigger ON, that the operation determination unit 103 has determined that the safety confirmation operation has been performed, and that the peripheral condition determination unit 105 has determined that the lane can be changed. That is, the time-out determination unit 104 does not determine that the determination results of the LC intention determination unit 101 and the operation determination unit 103 are time-outs. The specified value referred to here is a value that can be arbitrarily set, which corresponds to a time shorter than the above-mentioned first effective time, and may be, for example, 3 seconds.

The acceleration processing unit 107 outputs an instruction to the HCU 50 to notify the driver to perform the safety confirmation operation based on the determination that the operation determination unit 103 has not performed the safety confirmation operation. As an example, when the operation determination unit 103 determines that the safety confirmation operation has not been performed even though the intention detection unit 102 has detected the steering start trigger ON, the driver is notified to prompt the safety confirmation operation. It may be configured so that it can be installed. In addition, in order to prevent unnecessary notification to drivers whose safety confirmation operation is constantly slow, such as elderly people, even if a certain period of time has elapsed after the steering start trigger ON is detected by the intention detection unit 102. good. The fixed time referred to here can be arbitrarily set, and may be set in consideration of the time for a driver such as an elderly person whose safety confirmation operation is constantly slow to complete the safety confirmation operation.

Upon receiving the instruction to perform the notification, the HCU 50 causes the display device and the audio speaker 57 to notify the driver to perform a safety confirmation operation. As an example of the notification, a display device such as an electronic mirror 56 may be configured to prompt a safety confirmation operation, or a lamp such as an LED may be simply turned on.

The lane changing unit 108 gives an instruction to the vehicle control ECU 60 and generates a steering force in the direction toward the adjacent lane to move the own vehicle to the adjacent lane. The post-completion processing unit 109 performs post-steering processing when the steering in the process of moving the own vehicle to the adjacent lane in the lane changing unit 108 is completed.

As an example of the post-steering process, an instruction to notify the completion of the lane change is output to the HCU 50, and the display device or the audio speaker 57 notifies the HCU 50 that the lane change is completed. In the case of the configuration in which the display indicating that the lane is being changed is displayed during the lane change, the display indicating that the lane is being changed may be terminated by the post-steering process. As another example, an instruction may be output to the electronic control device that operates the winker lever, and the winker lever 7 operated by the driver may be automatically returned to the neutral position.

<LCA-related processing>
Subsequently, an example of the flow of the process related to the LCA function in the driving support ECU 9 (hereinafter referred to as the LCA-related process) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 3 may be configured to start when, for example, the in-lane driving support in the driving support ECU 9 is turned on (that is, the functions of ACC and LKA are both activated).

First, in step S1, when the LCA function unit 90 transitions to the LC_READY state by the state transition unit 100 (YES in S1), the process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the state has not changed to the LC_READY state and the state is LC_OFF (NO in S1), the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S2, if the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention (YES in S2), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no LC intention (NO in S2), the process proceeds to step S13. In step S3, the intention detection unit 102 starts counting from the time when the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention.

In step S4, if the peripheral condition determination unit 105 determines that the peripheral condition can change lanes (YES in S4), the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the peripheral condition determination unit 105 determines that the peripheral condition cannot change lanes (NO in S4), the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S5, when the count in the intention detection unit 102 reaches the specified value and the intention detection unit 102 detects the steering start trigger ON (YES in S5), the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the intention detection unit 102 has not detected the steering start trigger ON (NO in S5), the process proceeds to S8.

In step S6, if it is determined by the operation determination unit 103 that the safety confirmation operation has been performed (YES in S6), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if it is determined by the operation determination unit 103 that the safety confirmation operation has not been performed (NO in S6), the process proceeds to S8.

In step S7, if the timeout determination unit 104 determines that the determination result of the LC intention determination unit 101 or the operation determination unit 103 is a timeout (YES in S7), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, when the time-out determination unit 104 determines that both the determination results of the LC intention determination unit 101 and the operation determination unit 103 are valid (NO in S7), the permission unit 106 permits the lane change of the own vehicle, and the step. Move to S9.

Further, in step S8, when the time-out determination unit 104 determines that the determination result of the LC intention determination unit 101 or the operation determination unit 103 is a timeout (YES in S8), the process proceeds to S12. On the other hand, when the timeout determination unit 104 determines that both the determination results of the LC intention determination unit 101 and the operation determination unit 103 are valid (NO in S8), the process returns to S4 and the process is repeated.

If it is determined in S7 and S8 that the time-out has occurred, an instruction to notify the HCU 50 that the winker lever 7 must be operated again and the safety confirmation operation is required is output to the HCU 50 from the display device or the audio speaker 57. It is preferable to have this notification performed. Further, when it is determined in S7 and S8 that the time-out has occurred, the winker lever 7 operated by the driver is automatically returned to the neutral position, so that the winker lever 7 must be operated again and the safety confirmation operation must be performed. It may be configured to be recognized by the driver.

In step S9, the lane changing unit 108 instructs the vehicle control ECU 60 to move the own vehicle to the adjacent lane. In step S10, when the steering at the lane changing unit 108 is completed (YES in S10), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, when the steering at the lane changing unit 108 is not completed (NO in S10), the process returns to S9 and the process is repeated. In step S11, the post-completion processing unit 109 performs post-steering processing and proceeds to step S12.

In step S12, when it is the end timing of the LCA-related process (YES in S12), the LCA-related process is ended. On the other hand, if it is not the end timing of the LCA-related process (NO in S12), the process returns to S2 and the process is repeated. As an example of the end timing of the LCA-related process, the driving support in the lane is turned off by the operation input of the driver via the operation device 58, the ignition power supply of the own vehicle is turned off, and the like.

In step S13 when it is determined in S2 that there is no LC intention, if the LCA function unit 90 is in the LC_OFF state (YES in S13), the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, when the LCA function unit 90 is not in the LC_OFF state (NO in S13), the process returns to S2 and the process is repeated.

Further, in step S14 when the LCA function unit 90 is not in the LC_READY state in S1, the LCA-related processing is terminated when it is the end timing of the LCA-related processing (YES in S14). On the other hand, if it is not the end timing of the LCA-related process (NO in S14), the process returns to S1 and the process is repeated.

<State transition of LCA function unit 90>
Here, the state transition of the LCA functional unit 90 will be summarized with reference to FIG. As described above, the LCA function unit 90 is in the LC_OFF state when at least one of the cases where the in-lane driving support is OFF and the case where the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 cannot detect the adjacent lane of the own vehicle. Become. On the other hand, in the LC_OFF state, when the in-lane travel support is ON and the peripheral monitoring ECU 40 can detect the adjacent lane of the own vehicle, the LC_OFF state is changed to the LC_READY state.

Further, in the LC_READY state, when the LC decision determination unit 101 determines that the driver has an intention to change lanes, the state transitions to the LC_ON state. In the LC_ON state, if the time-out determination unit 104 determines that a time-out has occurred, the state transitions to the LC_READY state. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the time-out has occurred and the three conditions such as the surrounding situation where the lane can be changed, the detection of the steering start trigger ON, and the execution of the safety confirmation operation are satisfied, the lane change is permitted and the steering is started. Rudder. Then, when the steering is completed and the post-steering process is executed to complete the lane change, the state transitions from the LC_ON state to the LC_READY state.

<Summary of Embodiment 1>
According to the configuration of the first embodiment, when the operation determination unit 103 determines that the driver has not performed the safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, the permission unit 106 automatically performs the safety confirmation operation by the lane change unit 108. Do not allow lane changes. Therefore, even when the LCA function automatically changes the lane of the vehicle, the driver must perform a safety confirmation operation when changing lanes. Further, since the lane change cannot be performed unless the driver performs the safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, the driver can be urged to perform the safety confirmation operation. As a result, it is possible to make the driver a habit of checking safety when changing lanes, and it is possible to promote the growth of the driver.

Further, in the configuration in which the steering start trigger is turned on when the count from the time when the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is LC intention reaches the specified value, the driver must perform the safety confirmation operation as an essential condition for permitting the lane change. By doing so, it becomes possible to personally adapt the timing of steering start when changing lanes. Details will be described below with reference to FIG.

A of FIG. 5 shows an example in which the execution of the safety confirmation operation by the driver is not an indispensable condition for the lane change permission. Further, B and C of FIG. 5 show an example in which the execution of the safety confirmation operation by the driver is an indispensable condition for the lane change permission. Further, B in FIG. 5 shows an example of a driver in which the operation of the winker lever 7 and the execution of the safety confirmation operation are quick, and C in FIG. 5 shows a driver in which the time from the operation of the winker lever 7 to the execution of the safety confirmation operation is slow. An example is shown.

When the driver's implementation of the safety confirmation operation is not an essential condition for lane change permission as in the example of A, the specified value of the count for turning on the steering start trigger in consideration of the driver whose safety confirmation operation is slow (A). It is necessary to set a large value (see T1).

On the other hand, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, the driver performs the safety confirmation operation as an indispensable condition for permitting the lane change. Therefore, the steering start trigger is turned on without considering the driver whose safety confirmation operation is slow. The specified value of the count (see T1 of B and C) can be set smaller than that of A. Therefore, if the driver is quick from the operation of the winker lever 7 to the execution of the safety confirmation operation, it is possible to start steering earlier than in the case of A by the amount that the specified value of the count can be set smaller (T1 of B). reference). On the other hand, for a driver who is slow from the operation of the winker lever 7 to the execution of the safety confirmation operation, even if the count reaches the specified value, the steering does not start until the safety confirmation operation is performed (see T2 of C). .. As described above, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, it is possible to personally adapt the timing of steering start when changing lanes.

(Embodiment 2)
It should be noted that, before the LC intention determination unit 101 determines whether or not there is an LC intention, it is determined whether the lane change is a preferable driving scene and the lane change is proposed to the driver (hereinafter, embodiment 2). May be. An example of a schematic configuration of the driving support ECU 9a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, for convenience, the configuration of the driving support ECU 9a is omitted except for the configuration different from that of the driving support ECU 9 of the first embodiment. The driving support ECU 9a is the same as the driving support ECU 9 of the first embodiment except that the scene determination unit 110 and the proposal processing unit 111 are provided. The scene determination unit 110 and the proposal processing unit 111 may be configured to be included in the LCA function unit 90, or may be configured not to be included in the LCA function unit 90.

The scene determination unit 110 determines whether it is a preferable driving scene to change lanes based on the traveling state of the own vehicle and / or the situation around the own vehicle.

For example, the scene determination unit 110 preferably changes lanes based on the position of the own vehicle and the position of the intersection acquired from the ADAS locator 2, and the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle acquired from the peripheral monitoring ECU 40. Is determined. As a specific example, when the own vehicle is separated from the intersection by a predetermined distance or more and the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle is not more than a predetermined value, it may be determined that the lane change is a preferable driving scene. ..

The predetermined distance referred to here may be any distance as long as it is equal to or greater than the distance at which the lane change is prohibited before the intersection, and can be arbitrarily set. Further, the predetermined value referred to here may be about the target inter-vehicle distance when the speed of the preceding vehicle can be said to be significantly lower than the speed regulation value, and can be arbitrarily set. This predetermined value may be sequentially changed according to the speed regulation value included in the map data acquired from the ADAS locator 2, or may be a fixed value regardless of the speed regulation value.

Further, the scene determination unit 110 determines whether it is a preferable driving scene to change the lane of the own vehicle based on the position and lane regulation information of the own vehicle acquired from the ADAS locator 2. As a specific example, when the own vehicle is less than a predetermined distance to a point where the lane must be changed due to lane regulation, it may be determined that the lane change is a preferable driving scene. The predetermined distance referred to here can be arbitrarily set.

The lane regulation information about the point where the lane must be changed due to the lane regulation may be acquired from the roadside unit via the ITS communication device 3. Alternatively, the lane regulation information may be acquired by detecting a sign or a signboard indicating the lane regulation from the captured image captured by the peripheral surveillance camera 41 by image recognition processing.

In addition, if the driving support ECU 9 can acquire information on the planned route such as the recommended route being guided by the car navigation device and the planned travel route by automatic driving, this planned route is used. The scene determination unit 110 may determine a driving scene in which a lane change is preferable. As an example, when a right / left turn is required at an intersection ahead of the planned route and a lane change is required for a right / left turn, the scene determination unit 110 determines that the lane change is a preferable driving scene. You just have to judge.

When the scene determination unit 110 determines that the lane change is a preferable driving scene, the proposal processing unit 111 outputs an instruction to the HCU 50 to give a notification proposing a lane change of the own vehicle. Upon receiving the instruction to perform the notification, the HCU 50 causes the display device and the audio speaker 57 to notify the vehicle to propose a lane change. As an example of the notification, a display device such as an electronic mirror 56 may be configured to display a text or an icon proposing a lane change.

According to the configuration of the second embodiment, there is an advantage that the driver can save the trouble of determining the timing when the lane change is preferable.

(Modification 1)
In the first and second embodiments, a configuration is shown in which the determination by the operation determination unit 103 is started after the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention, but the determination is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the operation determination unit 103 may start the determination before the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention (hereinafter, modification 1).

As an example, the operation determination unit 103 may start the determination when the state other than LC_READY transitions to the LC_READY state. In addition, by combining with the configuration of the second embodiment, the proposal processing unit 111 may notify the proposal to change the lane of the own vehicle, and then the operation determination unit 103 may start the determination.

In addition, when the configuration of the modification 1 is adopted, the timing at which it is determined that the safety confirmation operation has been performed may be earlier than in the case of the first embodiment, so that the second effective time used by the timeout determination unit 104 may be earlier. May be set longer than in the case of the first embodiment.

According to the configuration of the first modification, the operation determination unit 103 starts the determination before the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that the LC intention is present, so that the safety confirmation operation is performed before the operation of the winker lever 7 when changing lanes. The safety confirmation operation of the driver to be performed can also be the target of the judgment. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the lane change is not permitted because the safety confirmation operation is not performed even though the safety confirmation operation is performed before the operation of the winker lever 7.

Further, even in the configuration of the modification 1, the lane change is not permitted unless the safety confirmation operation is performed. Therefore, the steering for changing lanes is not automatically started only on the condition of the elapsed time from the operation of the winker lever 7. Therefore, there is no problem that the steering for changing lanes is automatically started before the driver who performs the safety confirmation operation after operating the winker lever 7 completes the safety confirmation operation.

(Modification 2)
In the first and second embodiments, the LCA-related processing is started when the in-lane travel support is turned on, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to start when the ACC function is activated without activating the LKA function, or when the vehicle is manually driven without activating the ACC function and the LKA function. It may be configured.

(Modification 3)
In the first and second embodiments, the intention detection unit 102 detects that the steering start trigger is ON, the operation determination unit 103 determines that the safety confirmation operation has been performed, and the peripheral condition determination unit 105 determines that the lane can be changed. The condition for permitting the lane change is that the determination is made and that the timeout determination unit 104 does not determine the time-out, but this is not always the case.

For example, the detection of the steering start trigger ON by the intention detection unit 102 may not be a condition for permitting the lane change. In addition, the peripheral condition determination unit 105 may determine that the peripheral condition allows the lane change, which may not be a condition for permitting the lane change. Further, the time-out determination unit 104 may not determine that the time-out has occurred, which may not be a condition for permitting the lane change.

(Modification example 4)
In the first and second embodiments, the intention detection unit 102 detects that the count reached a specified value starting from the time when the LC intention determination unit 101 determines that there is an LC intention as the steering start trigger ON. However, this is not always the case.

For example, the operation device 58 may be configured to detect that the driver has operated a button or the like used to convey the intention to change lanes as the steering start trigger ON. In this case, the operating device 58 corresponds to the operating member according to the claim. Alternatively, the configuration may be such that the driver's operation of the steering wheel is detected as the steering start trigger ON. In this case, the steering wheel corresponds to the operating member of the claim. Further, the driver's operation of the steering wheel may be detected by the intention detection unit 102 from the signal of the steering torque sensor 64.

(Modification 5)
In the first and second embodiments, the time-out determination unit 104 shows a configuration in which the time-out is determined when the elapsed time from the detection of the steering start trigger ON by the intention detection unit 102 is equal to or longer than the first effective time. Not limited to this. For example, the time-out may be determined when the elapsed time since the driver operates the winker lever 7, that is, when the count by the intention detection unit 102 is equal to or longer than the first effective time.

In this case, the first effective time may be set to be longer than the time required from the driver operating the winker lever 7 to the end of the safety confirmation. More preferably, the first effective time may be set longer based on the driver whose safety confirmation is slow so that the time-out is not determined during the execution of the safety confirmation operation by the driver whose safety confirmation is slow. For example, the first effective time may be about 10 seconds.

(Modification 6)
Further, the timing at which the operation determination unit 103 determines whether or not the safety confirmation operation has been performed is not necessarily limited to the timing described in the first embodiment and the first modification.

(Modification 7)
In the first and second embodiments, the acceleration processing unit 107 has shown a configuration in which the driver is notified to prompt the safety confirmation operation based on the determination that the operation determination unit 103 has not performed the safety confirmation operation. , Not necessarily limited to this. For example, the operation determination unit 103 may be configured to notify the driver to prompt the safety confirmation operation before starting the determination of the safety confirmation operation.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments and modifications, respectively. The embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the above are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 Driving support system, 9, 9a Driving support ECU (driving support device), 7 Winker lever (operation member), 40 Peripheral monitoring ECU, 50 HCU, 58 Operation device (operation member), 60 Vehicle control ECU, 90 LCA function unit , 100 state transition unit, 101 LC intention determination unit, 102 intention detection unit, 103 operation determination unit, 104 timeout determination unit, 105 peripheral situation determination unit, 106 permission unit, 107 promotion processing unit, 108 lane change unit, 109 after completion Processing unit, 110 scene judgment unit, 111 proposal processing unit

Claims (4)

It is a driving support device used in a vehicle and provided with a lane change unit (108) for automatically changing the lane of the vehicle.
Based on the information of the sensor used to detect the state of the driver of the vehicle, the operation determination unit (103) for determining whether or not the driver has performed the safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, and
A permit unit (106) that permits automatic lane change by the lane change unit, and
The promotion processing unit (107) that prompts the driver to perform the safety confirmation operation, and the promotion processing unit (107).
It is provided with an intention detection unit (102) for detecting that the driver has permitted a lane change of the vehicle based on an operation input by the driver to a predetermined operation member (7, 58) of the vehicle.
The acceleration processing unit causes the driver to be notified of the safety confirmation operation before the operation determination unit determines whether or not the safety confirmation operation has been performed.
When the operation determination unit determines that the driver has not performed a safety confirmation operation when changing lanes, the permission unit permits the driver to change the lane of the vehicle in the intention detection unit. If this is not detected, the automatic lane change by the lane change section is not permitted.
In the acceleration processing unit, the permission unit does not allow the lane change unit to automatically change lanes, and the determination result in the operation determination unit or the detection result in the intention detection unit is determined to be a timeout. In that case, the operation input is automatically turned off to notify that the safety confirmation operation is required again, or to notify that the safety confirmation operation is required again. A driving support device that is automatically performed when the operation input is turned off . In claim 1,
The promotion processing unit prompts the driver to perform the safety confirmation operation before the operation determination unit determines whether or not the safety confirmation operation has been performed, and after the previous lane change is completed. A driving support device that provides notification. In claim 1 or 2 ,
When the measured value obtained by measuring the elapsed time from the operation input to the operation member (7) by the driver or the mileage of the vehicle reaches a specified value, the intention detection unit of the vehicle. It detects that the driver has allowed the driver to change lanes.
Even if the measured value reaches the specified value, the permission unit determines that the driver has not performed the safety confirmation operation when changing lanes in the operation determination unit. A driving support device that does not allow automatic lane change by the lane change unit. In claim 3 ,
The operation determination unit is an operation support device that determines whether or not the safety confirmation operation has been performed after the operation input to the operation member (7) by the driver is performed.

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